The Story of Poland's Transformation, from Rationing Food to Becoming the World's 20th Largest Economy

One generation ago, Poland was still rationing sugar and flour. Citizens’ income was only about one-tenth of that in West Germany. That situation has now changed. Poland’s economy has surpassed Switzerland and entered the ranks of the world’s top 20. The annual output value has exceeded $1 trillion, or approximately Rp16,993 trillion. The change began after the collapse of the communist regime in 1989-1990. Since then, Poland has grown into one of Europe’s economic engines. Several economists consider this experience to provide important lessons in improving welfare. The Donald Trump administration even pushed for greater recognition by inviting Poland to the G20 Summit. The city of Poznan has around 500,000 residents and is located between Berlin and Warsaw. “I am often asked if I miss anything by returning to Poland, and honestly, I feel the opposite,” said Kowalska. “We are more advanced than the United States in many fields,” she added. Kowalska now works at the Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Centre. This institution is developing Poland’s first artificial intelligence factory. The project is connected to a quantum computer, one of 10 units in Europe funded by the European Union. She previously worked at Microsoft after graduating from Poznan University of Technology. She described that job as “a dream come true.” However, she felt there were greater opportunities in her home country. “Especially in artificial intelligence, this technology is starting to develop very rapidly in Poland,” said Kowalska. “So, it’s very tempting to return,” she said. Data shows significant progress. Poland’s GDP per capita reached $55,340 in 2025, or approximately Rp940.28 million. This figure is equivalent to 85% of the EU average. In 1990, the value was only $6,730, or approximately Rp114.36 million, equivalent to 38% of the EU average. This position is now approaching Japan, which is at $52,039, or approximately Rp884.15 million, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Since joining the European Union in 2004, Poland’s economy has grown at an average of 3.8% per year. This figure is far above the European average of 1.8%.